Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-03
Canadian Sentiment.

Canadian Sentiment.
The World's correspondent, the results
of whose Investigations on the subject of
the sentiment in favor of annexation to
the United States, among the people of
Canada, we have copied in second ar
tcle reports an interview with Sir John
Macdonald, the premier of the Dominion
government, in which that statesman eX
pressed the belief that there was nothing
of the annexation movement, anyway.
He said:
AS to commercial union, any idea OF
having zollvereln with the United States,
doing away with custom houses along the
frontier, and continuing them as regards
imports from Great Britain, that is out OF
the question" ,
"Then you attach no Importance to the
discussion that seems to be going on III Il
| lively way just now ?"
"Oh, the proposition has only attracted
attention since Mr.. Butterworth and Mr..
| Wman have been agitatirg It, There has
been no voice from the farmer population.
We have recently had general election
from every constituency in the Dominion,
and that question was not mooted durln,;
| the canvass"
as there not considerable disaffection
| in Manitoba, going as Tar even as leaning
! toward annexation ?"
"The Manitoba people formerly object
ed to a duty on agricultural implements,
as they imported them from the Unit !
states, and the duty, of course, increased
the cost OF these implements But latter
ly Manitoba and the Northwest are SUP
piled with agricultural implements by
Canadian manufacturers as cheap or
cheaper than they can purchase them
from the United States"
$50 there is no feeling of unrest in
Manitoba at this time ?"
mo, don't consider there Is any feeling
of unrest anywhere in Canada. We have
got anneXatonists, and there are some
Americans in Canada who have chosen
their residence here and would naturally
like to be under the star spangled banner
again. But the great mass OF the people.
| think, are quite satisfied with their pres
ent relations to the mother country and
desire to continue them"
FAvoRGNG RECIPROCITY.
Our farming population, as indeed, all
Canada, is in favor of a return to the recip-
rocity treaty of 1854, which provided for a
free interchange of all natural products.
don't think that reciprocity in manufac-
lures would be looked upon with favor
in either country. The MANUFACTURING
population here fear that they would he
, crushed out, The protective policy was
only adopt ed in 1919, and our manuiaC-
lures which We're commenced since the
adoption of that policy are, of course, stlll
young and would be quite incapable, III
their present infant state, of fighting with
the enormous accumulated capitol EN-
ployed i'll manufacturing. purposes IN the
United States. 1t would take quarter
of "a century before they would be strong
enough to do battle"
rs there any race question that would
; influence one way or the other the question
of annexation ?"
III,
; population are as DESTROYS to continue The
connection with England as the English
people and their defendants are. They
have the ireeSt government in the world
The French population, particularly il
the province of Quebec, have their owl
Legislature and the enjoyment of the laws
which they brought with them from
France, and all the privileges secured t
D.. hem by the treaty OF Paris, under which
France coded her North American pos
7 sessions to England, Rave been sacredlN
respected and preserved. The Catholi'
, hierarchy and clergy, have great in
huence with their flocks, and are, be
lieve, thoroughly loyal to the British
crown"
Other intelligent Canadians held quit
, different views. Thus, Mr.. Henry w
Darling, president of the Bank of Com
merce of Toronto, the second largest banl
| of Canada, and ex-president of the Toron
} to Board of Trade, openly advocated com
2 mercial union with this country. II
: said
The geographical contiguity of tn
United States to Canada cannot possibl
t be overlooked. The republic cannot b
/ expected to change its commercial polio
e to meet the wishes of such number o
> people relatively to Its own as are foun'
y III Canada. 1t is natural and inevitabl
that the commercial policy of Canad
= should be shaped more in regard to tn
e country from whom for 30C0 miles it
e separated by an imaginary border than il
relation to a country 5000 miles distant
> even if it is the parent country. Fac
! has common origin, and sooner or late
S the offspring must be left to carve out it
o destiny in conformity with its interest
= more than in the interests Of the paren
State.